A career-best spell from pacer Anderson Phillip threatened to derail current leaders Barbados Pride against arch-rivals Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in the 2019-20 West Indies Championship on Friday.

Phillip ended the day with 5-54 from 17.2 overs and was the pick of the Red Force bowlers. A measure of his accuracy was that three of his scalps were lbw, and Dowrich and left-handed opener Shayne Moseley were bowled.

His three wickets between lunch and tea undermined the Pride top order and soon the visitors were scrambling on 73 for six.

But Dowrich led the way with 96 and Nurse made 81, sharing a record 159 for the seventh wicket to turn things around for the Pride.

The stand superseded the previous Barbados record against these opponents of 126 between Keith Boyce and Vanburn Holder 46 years ago at Kensington Oval.

The match, however, was hanging in the balance when stumps were drawn, after Nurse, Dowrich and Keon Harding, who was adjudged lbw to Phillip in the final over of the day, all fell in the final hour with the Pride closed the day on 250 for 9.

Earlier, Red Force, resuming the day on 192 for five, were bowled out in the final half-hour before lunch.

Joshua da Silva added 10 to his overnight score to lead the way for Red Force with 77, but there was token resistance from the rest of the batting. Captain Imran Khan made 23 and Uthman Mohammed added 22 – before the innings closed at 239.

Chemar Holder claimed two of the last five wickets to end with 4-68 from 23.5 overs and Kevin Stoute bagged 3-30 from 20 overs.